Early Mornings - NaLu
by ipromiseimnotatotaldweeb
Summary: Their eyes locked. His dark ones slightly widened, and his lips began curling upwards into his signature toothy grin. But strangely enough, Lucy wasn't focused on that. Her focus shifted to his light pink hair plastered on his forehead with sweat, her own pink at he sight of him in his sports gear. Bad summary but hopefully the story is better.. NaLu is ENDGAME.
1. The woods aren't so isolated

**So I know I haven't updated my other fic 'It's just pretend right? But I was struggling with some stuff, and deadlines are a thing so that will be up soon, but apologies again for not updating it any sooner. And really why am I uploading another fic? **

**WELLLL.. it's actually the new and improved version of Morning Jogs, one of my first ever fics that had multiple chapters and a good response. A couple of people asked for more or for it to be updated, but honestly I wasn't happy with how I'd written their characters and I hope this version is a little bit better! (Thanks to lovely peeps at the end) sorry for writing so much here let's get on with the story!**

**As per: FairyTail does not belong to me, only this plotline does. Apocalyptic – Halestorm does also not belong to me.**

**Enjoy :)**

**Chapter One – The woods aren't so isolated.**

Lucy felt the sharp bite of the wind rush over her face and through her hair. It slid across the park and shook the plethora of red, yellows and greens surroundings, reminding her that summer really was over. Her last year of college had finally arrived and she couldn't WAIT for it to be over.

Once college was finished, she could apply to Universities and finally get the hell away from home. That's what he promised. As long as she completed the A-levels of his choice with straight A's minimum.

The thought of leaving the hell hole she called home filled her with such exhilaration that she started jogging faster and ended up in a sprint that went on until she reached the end of the nature trail she was on.

Feeling her breathing starting to labour, she stopped to rest. Her hands were placed on her knees as she bent over forward in exhaustion. But a sip of her water and a few song choices later she pushed herself to start up again.

Not quite as fast though.

She settled for a gentle walk through the trees, taking in the sights around her that always seemed to calm her down.

Due to how early it was, there weren't really any people around bar the usual's. I mean really, who gets up at 6 o'clock in the morning to visit their local park. … Apart from her she guesses, and the few dog walkers she saw on the daily. A small fluffy white dog called 'Plue' was definitely the cutest.

Regardless of that fact, the way the trees formed a canopy above her or the way a light morning mist rolled over the stretch of grass and weaved through the woods, filled her with a sense of wonder. It made her feel like she was in some kind of fantasy land, one filled with magic and mystery. Even more so now that the explosion of colour that was autumn had come around.

Lucy continued walking knowing that when she reached the end of this next trail she would find the wide open space that was the 'playing fields', and beyond that the road leading up to her house.

She slowed down at the thought of having to go back home. 'Home' she called it. It hadn't been a home in years. Now it was just a place she lived. A place she lived with so many unnecessary rules. And enough expectations to fill a book. Well… enough of that; she was on her morning jog and NOTHING could stop her from trying to enjoy herself.

As she fiddled with the music on her phone, she came to a stop before finding the PERFECT song to psych her up and try to continue her good mood. She hadn't listened to Halestorm in a while, mostly because she couldn't at home.

She pressed play.

The three cymbals, followed by the electric guitar solo and the easy beat, made it child's play for her to start dancing along to the music. Lucy was so determined to make her good mood linger that she didn't stop to look around her as she sung up the path. If she had, she would have noticed another early morning jogger making his way down a small side path towards the trail she was on. His steps slowed as he noticed the blonde start dancing up to the part of the trail he was headed towards, his earphones blocking her voice out.

Her hips swayed in time with the music whenever she took a step forward, and her shoulders rolled with her body to the beat as she twirled around. She was enjoying listening to the song so much, she closed her eyes and lost herself to it. Not even noticing that she reached the chorus as she heartily sang along.

"_I'll give you one last night, so make it twisted~" _She sang along.

The boy had now paused his own music, and taken out his earphones to hear her voice. Stunned at how rough it came out as she sang along to the song.

_"I'll give you one last shot, go on and hit it" _As she flipped her ponytail and swung round to face away from him, he shook himself out of his stupor and walked down to meet the trail. She still hadn't noticed him. He wasn't deliberately sneaking up on her, but then again he also wasn't explicitly making himself known.

_"Give you one last time so ma-AAEEEKKKEEE!" _She spun around and opened her eyes right in the middle of a sentence, letting out a short but effective screech.

"Lucy?"

There is was. The single word that had now ruined her good morning mood. The water bottle she had been drinking out of, and actually singing into by the end of the chorus, has slipped out of her grasp and was now clattering on the floor below them.

She froze.

Of all the people who could have caught her embarrassing herself like that, it just had to be him. Her frustrating lab partner. Natsu Dragneel.

Their eyes locked. His dark ones slightly widened, and his lips began curling upwards into his signature toothy grin. But strangely enough, Lucy wasn't focus on that. Her focus shifted to his light pink hair plastered on his forehead with sweat, and the red tint to his cheeks probably from exertion. Lucy's own cheeks were a little pink as she flicked her eyes over him in his sports gear.

They didn't go to the same secondary school so she hadn't really seen him in a PE kit or really any sports gear before today. He really wasn't bad looking as it quite clearly suited him. Shame she had to figure that out whilst waiting for the ground to swallow her whole.

Natsu opened his mouth to say something, but Lucy's panicked mind finally caught up with her and in all her grace she turned and fled. Thoroughly confused and a little hot under the collar, not that he would admit, Natsu watched her sprint away. She didn't stop once to look back. Honestly, it was quite impressive.

He stood there, momentarily frozen not knowing what to think, before reaching down to pick up her water bottle. It lay long forgotten in the dirt by his feet. After picking it up and brushing off the majority of the mud, he noticed it was a pale pink in colour and her name was written in cursive along the side. A small group of stars, a constellation of some kind he guessed, were next to her name. He would have to ask her later.

Since he was not really feeling up to running for much longer anyway, and the fact that he didn't want to run with his hands full, he began to head back to his apartment. He was in desperate need for a shower and needed to get ready for college.

The water bottle wasn't such a big deal. After all, he had tutorial today, where he just happened to sit behind the blonde in question.

**Soooo what did you guys think of this previews for this fic? Please let me know in the reviews, I love hearing your feedback, it actually keeps me going sometimes lol**

**Thanks to: RapingBagels, NynaeveAl'Mera, Senbai x cup ramen, Flourescentcas, Yuri Hannah, Toomuchfannotenoughgirl and MORE! **


	2. Bad news and a pink water bottle

**Sooo a second chapter? When I should be updating other fics? Yes!**

**Hope you guys enjoy, I haven't been getting as much fun out of writing 'It's just pretend, right?' so enjoyed a break from it by writing this.**

**Chapter 2 – Bad news and a pink water bottle**

Lucy practically gasped for air as she burst through the door to her house. For a moment, not caring who could possibly be waiting her on the other side. Whilst she caught her breath, she was quickly reminded of why she should always be aware when in her house.

A soft squeak of a shoe on the polished wood floor and the suffocating scent of cigar smoke alerted her to her father's presence. She immediately straightened her posture and cautiously met his eye.

"Nice to see you partake in the upkeep of your physical health. But next time try to act a little more ladylike when you enter the house."

"Sorry Father."

Lucy's father, Jude Heartfilia, was an esteemed businessman. After he married into the higher class through marriage to Lucy's mother, Layla, he made it his business to earn his place amongst them.

But that never took ELEPHANT over his family. From the start they were picture perfect. Even going so far as to build the estate they currently lived on, including an all-purpose library and astronomy ELEPHANT for his love. However, when Layla passed away Lucy was only a child, and even _she_ noticed the change in his demeanour. No longer was the ambitious family man earning his place among the higher class. Instead in his place was a cruel husk of a man, who would fight tooth and nail to push their business, _his _business, to the top.

Jude would stop at nothing to further his success.

And Lucy was about to find that out the hard way.

A slip of crisply folded paper lay on the table next to the ornate lamp by the door. Jude gestured slightly to it, barely sparing her a second look. Curious, she picked up the paper and began opening it slowly. As she did so she saw a list of names, but before she could question her father on what it meant, he spoke up.

"Your list of potential husbands. You have until the end of the week to choose, I-"

Lucy cut him off with a sharp intake of breath at his words, now crushing the piece of paper in her clenched fists.

"Father, you can't be serious!"

"Watch your tone. I am completely serious." He continued, the calm persona he portrayed being marred only by the slight twitching of his eyebrow and the tightness in his jaw. Lucy felt her hand go to her chest as she pleaded with him.

"Dad, you can't-" Her voice breaking on the last word. How could he do this to her?

"Yes. I can young lady." His voice grew in volume as he himself grew more impatient. "Despite my best efforts, the family business needs more money in its system to expand. " Jude tried explaining himself to Lucy. "The only viable way for this to happen is through tactical marriage."

"But I've only just turned 18!" She desperately scraped at excuses, or reasons to dismiss his claims.

"You know full well your mother and I were only 17 when engaged, age matter not." He dismissed her excuses with a mere glance.

"But you married for love!"

"LUCY HEARTFILIA." She flinched at his tone, her body curling in on itself. "NOT another word more." She was wary of him when he was calm, but it was his outright anger that really scared her.

He reached into his pocket blazer to pull out another slip of paper, harshly smacking it down onto the table beside him.

"This is the additional information on each candidate. I suggest you calm down and look over it." And with that, he marched out the door to another one of his daily meetings.

Lucy stood there in shock; tears pricking at the edges of her eyes. How on earth was she supposed to process this news? Easy.

She couldn't.

All she could do at this moment in time was harden her resolve and get herself ready for college.

BBRREEAAKKLLIINNEE

A blue head of hair on a petite build bobbed up and down at the college gates. The owner of the blue head, otherwise known as Levy McGarden, looked up as she saw a steely look upon the approaching blonde's face. Unplugging her earphones and turning off her music, she matched her friends speed as they walked into college.

"Lu? You okay?" She asked the blonde hesitantly.

"Yep. Fine." She answered shortly. Levy didn't press it. She knew that Lucy could have a short fuse sometimes but this was a quiet fury. And as long as she had known her, she'd never reacted like this unless it was justified. Assuming it was something to do with her family, as these things often were, she dropped the subject and they walked the rest of the journey in silence until they reached Lucy's tutor group. Levy mentioned she would meet Lucy at lunch, before leaving to go to her own tutor.

Lucy stepped into the room and slumped down at her desk. Attendance flew by and before she knew it, the first bell rang and she marched her way to the dreaded chemistry class.

Miss Milkovich, her chemistry teacher, was already prepping for the upcoming class whwen Lucy got to the lab room. Having quietly taken her seat, she grabbed out her notepad and pen, and neatly wrote the date and title in cursive at the top of the page.

The moment the door opened slightly too wide for it to be normal, Lucy knew her morning would be anything but quiet. Especially given the interesting interaction she'd had with a certain someone in the park this morning. Speaking of that 'certain someone', the pink haired boy dropped down next to her not a second later.

Natsu took in a deep breath, to presumably start talking, when Miss Milkovich shut him down with the rapid start to her lesson on Organic Chemistry. Some rustling of paper and the sound of hastily taken notes filled her ears for the first 15 minutes of the lesson. Then the notes started.

The first note was on a ripped corner of paper and gently slid towards her. It read 'How was the run home? :) '. Lucy glanced at it for a second, and considered replying, but decided against it and pushed it back to continue with her note taking. A few minutes later another note was pushed towards her, this one reading 'You really ran off without even saying hi :('. Again she pushed it back, not replying.

This continued for the rest of the lesson. Every time he slid a note over to her, no matter what it said, she slid it back unanswered. Every time she did so, a little huff was heard from him.

It got to the point where he began prodding her gently, even nudging her with his elbow to get her to notice him. This inadvertently jogged her notes, more than a few times. After the fourth of fifth jogged word, Lucy had had enough.

"Christ Natsu! _Stop._" She hissed at him harshly, gathering a few odd looks from other students in the classroom. Namely the red head and the raven haired boy sat behind them, with front row seats to the whole debacle.

Finally the bell rang and Lucy packed up her bag and shot out the room in record time, leaving a confused and pouting Natsu behind.

Something was definitely up with her. Lucy didn't usually react so badly to his taunts or teasing. And so obviously he followed after.

BBRREEAAKKLLIINNEE

Lucy sat down on a bench below a colourful autumn tree to try and gather her thoughts. Just when she thought she would finally be able to sort through her mess of a mind and find some peace, she heard him jogging towards her.

"Hey Lucy." He breathed out as he walked the final step towards her.

A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she turned to face him. Her smile was strained and her cheeks felt weighted down. He seemed to notice this and grabbed a familiar looking water bottle out of his own red rucksack and held it out towards her.

"I believe this belongs to you," He paused for a moment; a familiar smile graced his lips. "Can't help but notice the colour though, did you buy it to match your favourite person's hair?" He wiggled his eyebrows up and down as an attempt to tease her.

Lucy scoffed as she grabbed back the water bottle. Yeah, he was cute but they weren't that close that she would buy things because of him. And no that cute party dress did _not_ count because she never wore it that one time they hung out outside of college at a party.

"Yeah as if," she said out loud.

Lucy didn't mind him; he was actually quite fun to be around in Chemistry when he wasn't disturbing her work. But that was it. She never really got involved much with him or his friendship group outside of college... there was Levy's party where she got to hang out with them but.. that was it. He didn't owe her pity friendship, just because they were lab partners. Or even worse, she didn't need another 'friend' taking advantage of her and her family.

A tired smile fell on her face as she questioned him.

"What do you want Natsu?" She paused, trying to gauge his reactions. "Why are you still talking to me?" She breathed out the question.

His eyebrows pinched together and his head cocked to the side slightly. Natsu took a slight step towards Lucy in concern, making her stand up in surprise. She almost flinched backwards like a scared animal at the thought of someone comforting her.

"Wha..? What do yo-" He started to ask before she interrupted, with a sharp tongue.

"Revision help?" He genuinely looked confused, so she guessed the next best thing, though it hurt her to think of. "Money!?"

Natsu looked almost offended at her question. But then again, he would be if she just called him out and he was trying to cover his tracks. She really couldn't handle anyone else trying to use her for gain. What if he was just doing this too.

"Money!?" Natsu moved forward to grasp her shoulders, willing her to understand the words he was saying. "What the hell are you talking about Luce, we're friends!"

"STOP IT." She burst out of his grip and lost it.

She couldn't take it anymore. She was tired of having his friendship dangled in front of her, not knowing whether or not to trust him or whether he had ulterior motives. "Stop calling me Luce. We're not friends, we're lab partners Natsu. Just- stop.. please?"

There were tears building up in the corner of her eyes. Hastily wiping them away, and letting out a small choked sob, Lucy picked up her bag and pushed past him to head towards the college. Again leaving Natsu in the dust, but this time he didn't hesitate to follow her.

**So was this okay? I wasn't really sure if this was a better interpretation of my original idea or not? I certainly hope so, and if you enjoyed please let me know in the reviews. Again they are like currency to my feels.**


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